Why this is important

For a successful CMDB deployment, you need a detailed configuration management plan for implementing, designing, and sustaining a configuration management capability.

Steps covered

1. Set your direction
2. Build a team and governance model
3. Design your configuration plan
4. Show your CMDB’s value to other departments

Key takeaways

The most important things to know
Have clear goals for your configuration management process and CMDB. A well-configured CMDB can help you manage service health, understand service consumption patterns, and calculate the cost of services—but you need to understand your most important business priorities to guide CMDB development.

Start small and iterate. Build a solid inventory of CIs tied to specific use cases. If you find yourself populating your CMDB with items that don’t tie back your business priorities or use cases, you’re probably off track.

The payoff of getting this right
A well-configured CMDB can save you as much as 40% in IT costs—and help you avoid the costs of unplanned outages.